Asheville is North Carolina’s most vibrant, electric, and eccentric city. A hipster’s paradise of great food, live music, a bustling art scene, and endless landscapes to explore beyond the horizon.
Proving itself as a city that is always growing and evolving, Asheville is a never-ending tapestry of art and culture. Nature-lovers, foodies, and music fans have a hundred things each to love about Asheville and its surrounding mountainous landscapes.
Despite being such a popular American city these days, Asheville still hides a lot of magical hidden gems, and every one of them should be added to your essential list of things to do in Asheville the next time you visit. Here are twenty hidden gems in Asheville NC.
1. DuPont State Forest: Filming Location for The Hunger Games
DuPont State Forest is a magical place to visit in its own right. What makes this area of natural beauty even more enticing, especially for film buffs and bookworms, is the fact that it was used for all the outdoor nature shots of the first two Hunger Games movies: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
All those scenes of Katniss and Gale hunting in District 12? They were shot right here in DuPont State Forest. If you remember a lot of background shots of waterfalls, you can track them down on your visit to DuPont State Forest. The waterfalls you’re looking for are Triple Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
2. Biltmore Winery
One of the best things to do in Asheville is, famously, to take a trip to the Biltmore Estate. This enormous historic mansion is the largest privately-owned house in the United States. However, while many people simply visit the house and take a walk on the grounds, one of the best hidden gems of Biltmore Estate is its winery.
A ticket to Biltmore Estate gets you access to Biltmore Winery, found in Antler Hill Village, which takes a short scenic drive to get to. Once you arrive at the winery, you can also enjoy a free sample of their wine to really hammer home the amazing work that Biltmore Winery does and the delicious wine it produces.
3. The Stable Cafe
Another hidden gem of Biltmore Estate is The Stable Cafe. Serving up what they proudly call Appalachian comfort food, The Stable Cafe is named for the fact that its location was once the estate’s stables. Now, they serve the best barbeque in Asheville, as well as mouth-watering grilled burgers and house-smoked meats.
4. Asheville Pinball Museum
Asheville is often labeled one of the USA’s hipster cities and what really cinches that is the Asheville Pinball Museum. This magical haven, a portal to the 70s and 80s, is found downtown near Grove Arcade.
A ticket inside gets you full access to all the vintage pinball tables and arcade machines of this incredible interactive museum. No roll of quarters is required; once you’re in, you can enjoy a day of vintage gaming to your heart’s content.
5. Blue Ridge Parkway
Famously and proudly named America’s Favorite Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway provides the ultimate freedom: journey across the rugged, rural ridge region of North Carolina. One of the most beautiful times of year to take the drive is autumn, when the fall foliage illuminates the landscape.
Asheville is the perfect place to begin your drive along Blue Ridge Parkway. Fora long leisurely day, head north into Virginia and up to Shenandoah National Park. Or, if you want a shorter drive, follow the southern tail end from Asheville to Cherokee.
6. Botanical Gardens at Asheville
The Botanical Gardens at Asheville are often overlooked, given how much wild natural landscape can be enjoyed beyond the city limits. But a visit to the botanical gardens still provides one of the best things to do in Asheville for residents and tourists alike. Ten acres of land provide peaceful forest trails to follow, 5,000 different species of flora to admire, and sights that include cozy wooden bridges and streams.
7. Downtown After Five
The city of Asheville has an explosive music scene and, if you’re a music fan, one of the best things to do in Asheville is attend one of their legendary yearly music festivals. Downtown After Five is one of the city’s biggest and best music festivals, having shown up every summer for over thirty years. Local beers and ciders can be enjoyed and the festival runs from May to September, every third Friday after five.
8. The Omni Grove Park Inn
If you’re a tourist visiting Asheville, one of the best places to stay in Asheville is The Omni Grove Park Inn. This gorgeous Asheville resort offers views of the city and the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon, dining on the sunset terrace, and spa filled with mineral pools for maximum relaxation. This place is a dream come true and staying here is one of the best things to do in Asheville NC.
9. Pack’s Tavern
One of the most unmissable hidden gems in Asheville is a visit to Pack’s Tavern. This place is a catch-all for food, drinks, and entertainment; not to mention a stylish and beautiful place to spend your evening or a wholesome lunch. Homemade burgers, pizza, and cake. Seasonal draft beers on tap. Live music and fun deals on drinks. Pack’s Tavern is a sleek and stylish hipster’s paradise in the heart of Asheville.
10. Malaprops Bookstore
Neil Gaiman once remarked that “a town isn’t a town without a bookstore”. The fastest way to feel at home anywhere is to find your local independent bookstore. For Asheville, that bookstore is Malaprops. What makes Malaprops on Haywood Street stand out is its inclusion of a cafe to relax in while you flick through your newly purchased stack of books. Malaprops even hosts unique author events, including readings and signings.
11. Folk Art Center
One of the most essential things to do in Asheville is a visit to the Folk Art Center. This gorgeous, enlightening museum is dedicated to local Appalachian arts and crafts. The Folk Art Center is located just outside the city, on Blue Ridge Parkway, and the local treasures found inside offer a gateway into the local history and culture of North Carolina.
12. Green Sage Cafe
Ask anyone where to get lunch in Asheville and they’ll point you to Green Sage Cafe. With a mission statement that prioritizes healthy, organic, sustainable food, there’s everything to love about this wonderful Asheville cafe. Plant-based foods, 95% organic, and no GMOs. If you’re looking for the happiest, healthiest food in the city, you’ll find it at Green Sage Cafe.
13. Grove Arcade
Grove Arcade is a gorgeous European-inspired shopping arcade in the heart of the city, and one of the best things to do in Asheville. The glass ceiling, shimmering storefront, and beautiful archway opening make for a glamorous shopping experience.
14. Asheville Art Museum
One of the best things to do in any city for a first-time visitor is to take in its art scene. The most exciting and extravagant place to start is a gallery. In Asheville, that means taking a visit to Asheville Art Museum. The museum’s permanent collection includes American art of the 20th century and its exhibitions rotate constantly, giving you plenty of reasons to keep returning.
15. Western North Carolina Farmers Market
Sometimes shortened to WNC Farmers Market, a wander around this staple of downtown Asheville is one of the best things to do in Asheville for locals and visitors alike. Boasting the biggest and freshest fruits and vegetables from the WNC area, this farmers market is overflowing with life, love, and color.
16. The Orange Peel
The music scene in Asheville goes beyond its slew of awesome summer festivals. There are also legendary local venues that host bands from the local, national, and international scenes. The most famous of these is The Orange Peel. From rock and metal to pop and electronic, as well as live podcast recordings and stand-up comedy, The Orange Peel has it all.
17. Asheville Breweries (Green Man, Twin Leaf)
There are certain things that a vibrant hipster city requires to keep its hipster status: street art, good vegan food, a lively music scene, lots of coffee, and local independent breweries. Asheville has these in spades, with Green Man and Twin Leaf being two of the most celebrated. Taking a tour of Green Man brewery is one of the coolest things to do in Asheville NC.
18. Cultivated Cocktails
If craft ales aren’t your thing, take a tour of Cultivated Cocktails instead. From tastings to tours to unique events, Cultivated Cocktails proudly shows off the spirits it crafts and is eager to show us, the public, the magic behind its creations. One of Asheville’s true hidden gems, taking a tour of Cultivated Cocktails is one of the best things to do in Asheville for first-time visitors.
19. Top of the Monk
After learning about the craft spirits of Asheville on a tour of Cultivated Cocktails, spend the evening enjoying a cocktail or two of your own at Top of the Monk. This local bar, which features a rooftop patio, serves up great whiskey and handcrafted cocktails for a fancy evening in Asheville.
20. Asheville Food Tours
Asheville is a proud foodie’s paradise and the best way to experience that paradise to its fullest is by taking a food tour. Asheville Food Tours provides a range of tours to choose from, including The Downtown Tour, Brunch Tour, and Night Tour. Pick your tour based on time of day and the kinds of foods you want to experience, and discover the variety of great foods in Asheville for yourself.
What about the River Arts District and River Walk? The graffiti and street art is always changing. 12 Bones has better barbecue than The Stables. The winery down there is better N.C. sourced than Biltmore (I’m told by a docent that some California grapes are used by Btmore.) An inside flea market is being created in the longest warehouse. There is an outside and inside skate venue. And the studios!!